Fountain ink-roller for telegraph-registers



(No Model.) 4 I Q 4 C. A. ROLPE. I FOUNTAIN INK ROLLER FOR TELEGRAPH REGISTERS. No. 544,644. Patented Aug. 13,1895. I

7 igs I Im E m UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

CHARLES A. RCLEE, or CHICAGO, rumors.

FOUNTAIN INK-ROLLER FOR TELEGRAPH REGlS TERs SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 544,644, dated August 18, 1895. Application filed October 13,1894. SeriaI No. 525,767 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OHAELEs'A. RCLFE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fountain Ink-Rollers for Telegraph-Registers, (Case No.1,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise,-and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of electrio-signaling apparatus used generally in police and fire alarm systems. In such systems individual call-boxes are placed at various points on a circuit throughout a district, and by pulling any one of these boxes a specific signal is sent and registered at the cen tral station.

My invention relates to the receiving-instrument, and particularly to the means for causing the ink to flow when the receiving-instrumentis operated, in order that the proper marks may be written upon the tape as the said tape is intermittently pressed against the stylus. Such a fire-alarm-telegraph system is shown in Letters Patent No. 180,983, granted John P. Barrett, August 15, 1876. Heretofore in such receiving-instruments as have been employed the ink-wheel has been provided with a periphery of felt or similar material which has been saturated with the ink, and

the stylus-wheel revolving against this inked.

periphery has taken up the amount required, so that when the paper tape has been pressed up against the wheel inked impressions of the wheel have been made upon the tape.

Speaking generally, my invention consists in What I term a fountain ink-wheel for telegraph-registers.

My wheel is made hollow to afford space for the ink placed therein. The periphery of the wheel is perforated and a sliding gravity-valve placed therein to control the flow of the ink through the perforations. Outside the perforated metal ring forming the periphery of the wheel I wind, preferably, first felt and then several layers of ribbon, which covering forms a surface in the nature of a pad, which permits a gradual percolation of the ink. The gravity-valve, which may be in the form of a shoe, should be fitted to conform to the inner surface of the perforated ring-forming the metallic periphery of the hollow wheel, and

as the wheel is rotated the friction between this shoe and'the inner surface of the ring aids in keeping the perforations open, while at the same time acting to control the flow of the ink.

In the drawings, which are illustrative of my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a telegraph-register in which is embodied my fountain ink-wheel. Fig. 2 is a view of my ink-Wheel as shown from section-line3 3 of Fig. '3. Fig. 3 is a sectional View upon line 1 1 of Fig. 1, showing the ink-wheel with the rubber surface of the stylus-wheel in contact therewith. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the sliding gravity-valve in the form of a shoe, hollowed out on the bottom thereof, so that the edges may be adapted-to closelyfit the 7 interior of the perforated ring of the wheel.

Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout the different figures. Since registers of the class shown in Fig. 1 are well known in the art, I will describe the general construction thereof very briefly.

The characters are impressed upon a tape a by an intermittently-actuated arm or presser foot I), which forces the tape as it is automatically carried along against the stylus-wheel c. The arm or presser-foot b is actuated by an electromagmet d, which electromagnet is connected either directly or indirectly by means of a relay and local circuit with the distant station from which current is sent by the action of a specially-designed transmitting-instrument or call-box. When the instrument is not in active use, the ink-wheel may be liftedto the position indicated by the dotted lines to give access to the same and to the stylus-wheel. In order to fill the wheel with ink, the cover e is removed and then replaced. By means of the milled nut f the cover is secured in position, the edge of the pad against which the inner side of the cover is pressed aiding in making the joint tight. The slid ing frictional valve 9 rests within the barrel containing the ink, as shown in Fig. 2, and while the barrel or wheel is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow this valve will retain substantially the position indicated in Fig. 2, with the bottom of the foot thereof resting against and sliding upon the inner surface of the perforated ring forming the periph eryof the wheel. portion of the under side of this shoe or valve g, as indicated at h, in order that the outer portion may be more accurately fitted to conform to the circular surface of the ring.

The stylus-wheel c is preferably provided with a rubber writing-surface is, as shown in Fig.3, especially when my wheel is provided with a smooth inking-surface such as I have described, which is formed by ribbon, and which I find preferable to a surface formed of felt. My fountain-wheel as thus constructed is adapted to replace the old form of wheels, which are inked from the outside.

As far as I know or have been informed, no fountain ink-wheel adapted to be employed in automatically operated telegraph registers has been heretofore constructed or employed.

I preferably cut away the central CHARLES A. ROLFE. Witnesses:

HARRIET G. TEMPLETON, GEORGE L. CRAGG. 

